Yesterday, after a curiously lengthy hiatus, the ICT Davao Inc. organization was formally established with the election of its first set of officers. Bong Tee, representing the Association of Computer Businesses in Mindanao (ACBM), was naturally elected president. The formation of this umbrella organization is his re-entry project after his educational stint in Australia c/o the PAHRDF. He carried it through, and now it’s a reality.
It was a hopeful sign that all 10 IT industry associations who were invited made an appearance. Hopefully, with the new officers in place, and with more interested members coming out of the woodworks, Davao’s IT will finally have a representative body that can speak for the entire industry. It’s been tried once before, but it ultimately did not succeed due to various factors.
One of which was the lack of focus. This time, it must be plain enough to see that there has to be not only direction, but also a focusing on which part of the IT industry should be given priority attention. This is critical: only then will we know our full potential for growth.
The ICT Davao, however, should not forget that it exists to serve its constituents. To spearhead industry-wide initiatives, yes, but not to lead each member-organization. This new umbrella organization’s position is still tenuous at present, but with the support of the Davao City Chamber, and with the mandate that it now has, then perhaps this can change rapidly.
Bong Tee has always been a charismatic leader in his own milieu. And he seems now quite prepared to take on the bigger role of representing the entire IT industry of Davao. Already projects are being lined up, notably the Mindanao ICT Summit, which is tentatively set for November of this year. In the interim, Bong has his work cut out for him. And so does the entire organization.
Kudos to all those who’ve striven hard for the realization of this goal!
If we are to become serious about Davao becoming an IT outsourcing destination, then it’s high time we get our acts together and support this new but promising umbrella organization. If we are to become a significant contributor to the nation’s IT industry, then we have to show that Davao indeed is ready.
